After it ends, Peace reigns
by Runaway Mushroom
Summary: The Heartless are gone; the worlds are finally at peace, but is it truly the end? They are trapped in bliss and confronted with happiness. Can they win this ancient struggle? The struggle for love...? Riku/Sora; Leon/Cloud or Cloud/Leon ; Tifa/Aerith.
1. Presentations

**_After it ends, Peace reigns_**

**Fandom:** Kingdom Hearts

**Pairings:** (by order of appearance) Tifa/Aerith; Riku/Sora; Leon/Cloud

**Rating:** Hmm, I'll keep it safe and give it an M for latter chapters.

**Warning:** None this chapter. There is only _one _curse word.

**AN**: Wow, I published something big! Hehe! Well, I got inspired and started writing... what I had in mind was a simple, short one-shot... but it grew! Oh, how it grew! -.-'

_**Chapter One:** Presentations_

It was a beautiful spring morning. The sun was shining high up in the sky and you could feel the warmth that preceded a hot summer. The flowers had already begun to bloom in Radiant Garden's reconstructed… well, gardens. They were all kinds of them in these places –from big ones to small ones, from yellows to reds, from daisies to roses. But -although beautiful- none seemed to even compare with Aerith's prized plants.

These were admired by everyone and all the flower enthusiasts living nearby –and even some from faraway places- wanted to know the lady's secret. "The secret to what?" some asked, only to be bombarded with fervent and awe-filled answers about the magical –even if not that uncommon looking- immortal flowers living and impressing young to old alike in the flower bed in front of Aerith's gift shop. The purple orchids resting surrounded by the white lilies were truly amazing. One could pass by the shop any season of the year and there they would be. Come torrential rain, come furious snow or even powerful wind that the flowers would be wet, surrounded by snow or leaves blown by the wind. Never withering. Some would say these natural events would make these plants even more beautiful, others would say this happened because of Aerith's hidden mystical powers, but nevertheless these amazing beings attracted everybody to the shop. It could be that they had been grown just for that purpose, however no one would amuse the thought that Aerith did not care for these flowers. On the contrary. She treated them as if they were her babies.

Everyone admired this lady. She was thought to be the perfect housewife. Magical gardener, extraordinary cooker, amazing advice giver and a cleaning specialist, Aerith was the complete opposite of her lover. If Aerith was the typical wife, Tifa could be the typical husband. "Could" just because she hated being compared with a man and made sure everyone knew that. She was a woman and she loved being one. She could be far from feminine, but that didn't mean she wasn't female. Being a woman had granted her the pleasure of a deep and long-lasting relationship with the lady of her dreams –Aerith.

That woman was everything to her. She was sweet and kind, whereas she was tough and stubborn. If someone was in need of help, Aerith would provide them with everything she could in order to help them. That made Tifa love her even more. Because she was so kind and always saw the good in everybody, she tended to forget about the bad. And nobody is without some "bad" in them, "_ying _and _yang_ and all that crap" thought Tifa. This provided Tifa with her part in the whole "helping others" business. Aerith could help everybody she wanted, but if they so much as _think _of hurting her, Tifa would give them "a beating of a lifetime and then some" she would say. She was definitely very protective of Aerith, but since that didn't seem to bother her and it sure as hell didn't bother Tifa, this would carry on for quite some time. "Some time" being until death, and even so it would be hard letting it go.

This side of Aerith, the helpful one –because she had other sides, Tifa would guaranty that- made her open a gift shop. A place she believed people could buy presents for others – be it the sick neighbor or the significant other- and themselves in an easy-to-find, adequate-to-that-single-person sort of way. Aerith believed objects had more to them than people thought, and she liked to share her little theory with whoever wanted to hear it. This theory being that certain objects would be better cared for and esteemed if they belonged with certain people. This didn't mean clumsy people couldn't have anything. This meant that a person –be it she or he was clumsy or not- was better suited to possess a certain object than another. She believed that seeing as everyone is unique, they had to have an object that would be the perfect match for them according to their essence. This essence being what describes _how_ that person is, and seeing as only very few people could "see" them, Aerith wanted to provide something that made possible determining the personality of a person. And that thing came in the form of an object, a "gift" as she called them. Seeing as what gift matches what person was definitely a surprise and what she believed attracted people to her shop were her flowers, Aerith decided to name her gift shop "Surprise Bloom". Tifa chuckled a little when she heard it the first time, but a kiss from her lover and a soft whisper against her lips not to make fun of her worked like a charm –Aerith certainly knew how to shut her up.

* * *

Sitting under an apple tree just across the street from Leon and Tifa's dojo in the tiny green hill that –climbing the stone stairs next to them- would lead to another street in which were Cloud's pet shop, Merlin's café and Aerith's gift shop, were Riku and Sora.

Riku was leaning back against the tree with Sora's head on his stomach. With what he could see, he knew Sora was asleep. He had his feet to the silver-haired teen's left and his head was turned in Riku's direction with his eyes closed, his lips parting softly and breathing evenly. Riku was calming himself, trying not to lean towards Sora and kissing him while he was asleep, seeing as the movements he had to make would surely wake his lover up and he didn't want that. He looked up to the sky, the leaves from the apple tree protecting his eyes from the light. It was cloudless, the sun was shining and he could feel the sunlight warming him. He had to admit that this ambient was making him sleepy, as it made Sora. Speaking of which, the boy had just moved a little, tickling Riku with his spiky chocolate hair on the skin he had exposed earlier when he furrowed into Riku's shirt so he could sleep comfortably, making him flinch a little and suck in a breath. Riku petted Sora's hair with his right hand and let his left hand rest in Sora's chest, near his neck.

He was comfortable like this and he knew that if he didn't distract himself, he would soon fall asleep and then they would miss their lessons at Merlin's café "Touch of Magic". Every day they had class in a room at the back from 9 in the morning until 12, at which time they would have lunch break. Lunch would be served at the café, free of charge. This pause would last until 13:30 so they could relax a little in between lessons. Then, classes would continue until 16. After that, they would go to their part-time jobs if they had them. Riku and Sora didn't since they had gathered a significant amount of munny in their journeys. Alas, Kairi and Yuffie did. Kairi worked at Cloud's pet shop "Radiant Pets" and Yuffie at Aerith's gift shop "Surprise Bloom". Although the boys had offered to give them some of their munny, Kairi had refused because she wanted to support herself.

"I want to be an independent girl, guys. Thanks, but no thanks."-she had said.

Yuffie refused as well, seeing as she didn't work for the money, but for the fun of it.

In terms of living accommodations, the four of them lived together on a place two houses to the left of the dojo. It wasn't a mansion, that was certain, but it definitely was very nice. It had two stories, the first had the kitchen which practically only served the purpose of having breakfast since all the other meals were at the café –Merlin had insisted-, the living room where they had the TV and the DVD player and the library that had been filled to the top by Merlin and Aerith. On the second story were the bedrooms –two of them- which of course one belonged to the boys and the other to the girls and the bathrooms –again, two of them. In the library they had books varying from gardening – which must have come from Aerith- to magic. In their classes with Merlin they learned magic and the books they had to bring were there. They had 6 copies of each –two extra ones in case something should happen- _He must have been thinking of Sora and Yuffie.-_thought Riku. There were a lot of different books, so Riku guessed they still had a long way to go. They were only at the first book since they had started half a week ago. They had been here for a month now, but since they had been adjusting to a different life on a different world because they couldn't go back home for some reason, and because Merlin was still making plans for the decoration and space of his café, they had a little delay.

The old man had said that a lot of time on the hands of the young brings forth a lot of trouble and the ex-Restoration Committee agreed –except Yuffie of course, since she would be affected as well. He had said that since magic was his specialty and it was useful that he would teach us. Thus began the lessons. Magic was certainly useful and fun, but the teenagers preferred having the time to relax. Although, they knew they would grow tired of doing nothing soon if they didn't have classes.

Amazing as it may seem, Sora was very skilled at the subject. Riku figured it may have come from the journeys he had done in which he learned so much and being friends with Donald. The duck may have been a bit too much, but his skills were undoubtedly good. Speaking of traveling, the white-haired teen still had a bit of issues with the whole "finding Riku journey" affair. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the gesture – he did- and that was exactly the deal. He had to make it up to Sora some way. The problem was how, after all, Sora always said his life was perfect just the way it was. He said that living near his friends and being able to spend time with his boyfriend every time and every way he wanted was enough. But Riku didn't think that way. He just _had_ to find a solution.

Looking at his watch, he saw that it was about time for class. Making a mental note to talk to Aerith about it since she was the specialist on gifts for everyone, he started caressing Sora on his cheek. He brushed back Sora's hair and waited for him to wake up. His eyes opened slowly and the sight of those blue sleepy eyes made Riku say:

-You're so cute, Sora.

-Hmm…Thank you. –Sora leaned towards Riku and kissed him chastely and sweetly on the lips. - I love you, Riku.

Riku was momentarily stunned. Sora's kisses had that effect on him. When the ability to speak returned –even if a little breathless- he answered:

-I love you too. – He paused, looking at his lover. – We better get going to the café; the girls must be already there.

-Sure. I'll show you my amazing magic in class. – Sora teased.

-You do that you little showoff, - Riku laughed softly back at him- and I'll tickle you breathless.

-Why don't you kiss me breathless instead? – The brunet asked with a mischievous tone laced with fake innocence.

-I will if you keep teasing me like that. – Riku smirked, whispering sensually in Sora's ear- And then I'll pound you into the floor while I'm at it!

Sora was blushing. What Riku said resembled a dream he had some nights ago. When Riku found out about it in the form of a tent in Sora's boxers, he thoroughly ravished the younger one and since then he found himself getting excited from just about anything slightly erotic Riku said to him. That time was not when they had lost their virginity. They had already had sex some times before, but then what they did was make love and that morning Riku had _fucked_ him and it made Sora lose what amount of innocence he had. He loved it; he loved when Riku was naughty! He wanted more even if it still made him blush. It was so interesting, so… _exciting_! He just could not get enough, but even so he knew better than to get hard before class. Getting up, he stammered:

-C-c'mon Riku, we s-should get going or we'll be late…

Riku saw the blush and the stammer. Right there and then he made a vow not to say something even slightly sexual to Sora ever again until he was comfortable enough with it. He had to make it up to Sora and embarrassing him was not a good way of doing it. He knew Sora was bored with his life because he didn't have to fight the Heartless anymore since they had disappeared completely. He had to make his life interesting and embarrassing his lover was definitely not the answer.

Riku got up and kissed Sora on the cheek. He grabbed his hand and they walk into the café.

* * *

_Life is good_, thought Cloud. The sunlight was coming in from the window of the pet shop and the animals seemed to like it judging by the way they either flew, ran or hopped to places within their cages with better access to the light. He was sitting behind the counter reading a magazine named "Paws". He was particularly interested in an article about a chocobo that warned his owner about a fire in her house. These birds were amazing in his eyes. He still remembered the first time he saw a chocobo here. At that time, he had taken a step towards something unknown to him.

_**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------**__**Flashback---------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

After killing Sephiroth, lying slashed, bruised and blood-soaked on the dirty ground, he saw a chocobo heading towards him. At first he thought it was just a pain-induced hallucination and closed his eyes to die in peace. However, when something cold touched him on the face and he open them, the warrior saw it. It had a burnt-looking kind of yellow color, with an orange-colored beak and it seemed to be an adult. It was a chocobo! He couldn't believe it – chocobos didn't live in Radiant Garden-, but there it was. He would have liked to stare at it a little more, but it seemed that his conscience wouldn't allow it. The injuries had been too severe and Cloud closed his eyes again, falling into a deep black hole he thought was death.

When he woke up again, he found himself lying on a bed. It smelled really nice, like some sort of floral fragrance. He looked around the room. It was simple – white yellowish walls surrounded him, a window with no curtains in front of him, a wooden nightstand to his right, wooden flooring beneath him- but what caught his attention was the figure sitting on a chair a bit farther to the left of the bed. He got up and slowly walked over to it, noticing with satisfaction that his wounds didn't hurt. Doing this he also noticed that he was wearing a pair of blue pajama pants -that were a bit big on him- and a white t-shirt that didn't belong to him. Deciding it didn't matter, he stopped right in front of the person –that he could see was asleep- and putting a hand on his shoulder and shaking it slightly he asked:

-Leon?

Said man opened his eyes and looked up at him. He was truly beautiful even if too stoic at times. His eyes were the palest blue Cloud had ever seen. His lips looked like they would be deliciously soft on touch and his hair almost begged to be played with. Although Leon might not think so, his scar was certainly very attractive. At that moment, Cloud wanted to touch it. He never wanted to do such a thing before, but he had expected some changes to his personality when he defeated Sephiroth and if these were it… who was he to complain? The sudden attraction towards Leon's scar was quickly muffled in order to admire another aspect of the man. This aspect being the look Leon was giving him due to his lethargy. It was so… innocent, so _vulnerable_. Cloud knew at that moment that he was lost. Lost to this man's -to Leon's- endearing complexity. He wanted… something – something he didn't know what it was- and he wanted it from Leon.

As quick as Cloud had become hypnotized with Leon, the brunet had regain his normal composure and was looking at the blond with a raised brow.

-…Why are you looking at me with your mouth open and a mesmerized look on your face? – Leon asked, and quickly remembering the reason he was there he got up and put his hands on Cloud's shoulders. – More important than that, why are you out of bed? You should be resting. Your wounds may be nearly healed, but that doesn't mean you can just hop of bed just because you feel like it.

-I…I woke up and saw you sleeping in the chair and I wanted to… Actually, I don't know. I guess I wanted to see if you were alright. – Said Cloud, still recovering from his daze.

At this, Leon said after some thought:

-Don't worry about me. That's not something you'd do.

With a little push towards the bed, and a hand on the blond's back, the brunet managed to make Cloud lie in bed. He picked the chair up and put it down near the bed. He sat down and sighed:

-Don't try to be nice to me. You don't owe me anything.

-Owe? Why would I owe you? – The younger one had a confused expression on his face. – Did something happen?

Leon was taken aback. Did Cloud lose his memory? Everybody had had enough trouble with memories has it was. It seems that tradition had affected Cloud as well.

-You don't remember? – Leon asked with a frown on his face, his own way of showing concern- What do you remember doing last? Anything at all?

-The last thing I remember is defeating Sephiroth and afterwards lying injured on the ground and then a chocobo came to me. – Said the warrior, trying to remember if he had missed anything.

Leon sighed. It wasn't that Cloud had lost his memories. He had just fallen unconscious and hadn't been aware of what had happened.

-I don't know anything about that. The only thing I know is that one day I woke up with a strange knock on my door and when I opened it, I saw you bleeding right in front of my eyes. As far as the whole chocobo story goes, I found some feathers on your clothes. I didn't throw them away but they were the only thing that didn't go to the garbage can. The rest was slashed beyond repair. Anyway, I picked you up, stripped you, gave you a bath and cast some healing spells on you, but since I'm not that good of a magician, I dressed your wounds anyway. Then I dressed you with some of my clothes and you've been sleeping ever since.

Deciding to ignore that Leon had given him a bath and fighting a blush, Cloud asked:

-"One day"? "Ever since"? How long have I been sleeping?

-For three days now. –The brunet answered.

-Three days?! That explains why I'm so hungry. –Cloud was surprised. He had been fighting for as long as he could remember and he didn't recall something like this ever happening before. _It must have been the transformation. Since I'm complete now, it figures I would change, but I didn't expect for it to take so long. _– Do you happen to have any food around here?

Leon chuckled. – Of course. I'll go make some breakfast and then I'll bring it up.

-Don't bother, I can go downstairs. – Cloud argued. – It's been three days, I've heal enough so I can walk fine.

-Alright, whatever you say. – The brunet sighed. – Don't complain if it starts hurting.

-I won't. – The blond replied. - I don't complain when I'm in pain.

-Me neither. – Leon looked at Cloud. Something was different. He just didn't know what.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**AN:** Alright, I'm ending chapter one here. I _did_ want to write more –_is inspired and can't let go of computer_- but it was getting a bit long, so I guess I'll end it here and add what wasn't in this chapter to chapter two –_that I'll write right away_.

I know that there are still some questions surrounding this 'verse – _I don't even know if it's AU or not_ -.-_' _– and even the characters, but I promise I'll get to it. If I don't or you feel that I could answer some other question I am not aware exists, please let me know.


	2. We do strange things

**_After it ends, Peace reigns_**

**Fandom:** Kingdom Hearts

**Pairings:** (by order of appearance in this chapter) Leon/Cloud; Riku/Sora; Tifa/Aerith

**Rating:** Hmm, I'll keep it safe and give it an M for latter chapters.

**Warning:** Leon/Cloud naughty business and some curse words.

**AN: **This is the continuation of Cloud's flashback. Well, I wrote porn (-ish)... I know it's bad... I still have a ways to go...

_**Chapter Two:** We do strange things_

Both men descended the stairs and Leon showed Cloud the way to the kitchen. It had a nice kind of feeling to it. This room was not what you would expect from Leon. Everything from the cupboards to the chairs and the table was made from a very light wood. It made the room look brighter, happier even. Very unlike Leon.

While Leon headed to the fridge, the blond-haired man sat down at the table. There were only two chairs. _That's strange. – _Thought Cloud – _Since Leon has such a lone wolf demeanor, you would think he'd only have a single item. Like only one pillow or chair. This can't be for decoration purposes. Maybe… - _Realization stroke him. – _Maybe it's because of me? –_ Without him noticing, a small smile made its way to his face. – _That's slightly heartwarming. That he would make space in his home just for me._

-Cloud? Hey, Cloud! – Leon was standing right next to him, with a hand on his shoulder. – Are you ok? –When the other nodded in affirmation, looking a little surprised he continued. – You were spacing out…

The blond warrior really was surprised. Not only had he been distracted from his thoughts by the very cause of them, but he had also been granted the honor of seeing Leon's concern frown again. It was happening very often today.

-I'm sorry. – He managed to say. – It won't happen again. Were you saying something?

-Don't worry about it. You don't have to apologize. – He calmed down. Cloud was acting strange and he thought the other might have been sicker than he said. Maybe he had a fever or something. – I was asking if you wanted a slice of apple pie.

-Y-yeah, that would be nice. – Cloud had been distracted with Leon's scar again. He blamed it on the proximity. – _Damn! If I keep getting all flustered because of the mark of a healed flesh wound he'll start thinking I have mental problems._

But when Leon didn't say anything about it, he relaxed. Maybe he hadn't noticed. It wasn't that noticeable to begin with, it was just a little stutter. _Nobody notices those things_ - He thought. Softly, he heard Leon's voice directed at him. This time it was so relaxed, so calm and paused but sultry all the same. It made Cloud feel like he was melting. He was blushing slightly and he had to force himself to breath. The fact that Leon looked at him when he didn't answer right away didn't exactly help matters. Those eyes… oh my, _those eyes._ So innocent at that exact moment but he felt like they were looking right _into_ him. And that _cursed_ scar! _Shiva, why are you doing this to me? –_ thought Cloud. He was all this worked up and all Leon had said was…

-Do you want milk?

The younger man decided he should keep his eyes on the tablecloth. The pretty, pretty tablecloth with the storm clouds that was long enough to hide his erection. _So helpful and practical_ – contemplated Cloud. He could only let out, in this mess that Leon made him, one word.

-P-Please.

The brunet decided that the blond definitely had a fever. He took the pie with one hand and the milk carton with the other out of the fridge and closed the door with his foot. He set them on the table and went to fetch two plates and two cups. It was nice having someone over even if he wouldn't admit it. He liked this, having somebody with him to talk to and eat with. It was very… domestic. Even if he didn't talk much when he went to work or just went out – which wasn't very often – he always thought that having someone with him in his home would be a way to open himself up. That was why he didn't invite anybody there, he didn't know if he was prepared to show his true self to another person, but with forced events and all… He couldn't very well leave Cloud to die on his doorstep. He always had seen the man as interesting to say the least. Someone he could relate to and talk to – if he _did_ talk. So it was only normal that he felt at ease with having to care for Cloud and sharing his house with him…right? He cut the pie with a knife he managed to keep settled in one of the cups as well as the forks – he had a habit of doing everything at once – and set the slices on the plates, then he poured the milk into the cups and handed Cloud his share. He sat down at the table in front of the blond. The table was made for four people so they weren't uncomfortable. He picked up the fork and started eating, noticing that the younger of the two had started doing the same. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he smile a little.

-This is really good! – said Cloud. This apple pie was possibly the best he had ever tasted. – Did Aerith bake this?

-Thank you. –Leon answered. He felt slightly offended with Cloud mentioning Aerith. When he pictured a meal with someone in his house he always thought the conversation they would have would be about themselves. – Actually, _I_ baked it. I'm glad you like it.

Cloud was caught by surprise again. Leon had baked this pie? It was simply amazing, the taste had been really brought out and this sweet goodness was getting him addicted. If Aerith had baked it, he wouldn't have given it much thought. They were childhood friends so he was used to her cooking. She didn't actually have anything she really liked doing when she was growing up except baking cakes, cookies, puddings and all the sweet treats you could imagine. Then she turned her attention to cooking things other than desserts. Everyone thought she would be a chef, but she opened the gift shop instead. Ah well, couldn't be helped. Now, _Leon_ being an expert at making desserts? That was simply… he didn't even have a word for it. The brunet really was more than he let out. _Could you be any more desirable?_ – Cloud thought.

-It really is good. – He said. Then he noticed Leon was looking down at his plate. He looked almost sad. Maybe it was because he had associated good cooking with Aerith. As if he had been saying that any other person other than her didn't know how to cook to save their lives. Everybody knew _he_ couldn't. – I'm sorry I thought Aerith had made it. I didn't know you could cook so well, so I just associated it with somebody I knew cooks well. But, honestly? I bet she can't even compare to you when it come to baking apple pie. You're a really good cook, Leon.

Now it was Leon's turn to be surprised. From what he could gather by watching the blond, he didn't think he would be so considerate of others – of _him_. It wasn't about who was the better cook; that wasn't the problem. He knew she was better, but what he didn't like was Cloud _talking_ about her during _their_ time. This was supposed to be special. It was supposed to be about_ them_. About him opening up to somebody, opening up to _Cloud_. _What's done is done. – _He thought. – _We'll just talk about something else. Carry on. I mean, I can't get all worked up because of a _damn name! _We'll just keep talking._

-Don't try so hard. You didn't insult me. – Said Leon. He gave Cloud a small smile to show that he was forgiven. – I just don't like talking about somebody else when I have someone with me in my home. I always believed it should be just the two of us. Nobody else. Something intimate, you see? Let's talk about something else, ok?

Cloud completely lost it. That smile! Leon _never_ smiled. And if he did, he never thought he would ever smile like _that…_ so softly, so innocently. He was associating Leon with the word "innocent" and that was slightly strange, but he couldn't find the state of mind to care. The brunet had just said he wanted "something intimate". That he "believed it should be just the two of us". Cloud was truly lost. Leon was… he was… overwhelming. He just said… what he just said was… perfect. Cloud could feel his blush fighting back with enough force to knock back an elephant and he let it have his way. He had a dazed expression on his face and his lips were slightly parted, having difficulty breathing. Leon had just won over every part of him that still offered resistance.

Seeing Cloud, Leon instantly jumped of the chair and was quickly at his side. The blond looked really strange. He was worse than he thought! He must have a really serious fever. He couldn't believe this was happening. Why had he let Cloud get out of bed? Why was he so stupid to actually think that Cloud had completely recovered? Why couldn't he see that the younger one insisted on coming down to the kitchen just so he won't be too much of a burden? Why? Why was it that the person he was beginning to open up to had fallen ill? Why had it been Cloud to suffer the disease? Why couldn't it happen to somebody else?

He bent down and gently put his lips to Cloud's forehead, checking his temperature and petted his hair, trying not to startle the younger one. The blond was burning, and so, to try to ease his suffering, Leon kissed him on the cheekbones, slowly, taking his time with trying to calm Cloud down, kissing one and then doing the same to the other a couple of times. When he stopped and looked at Cloud he stopped breathing. The blond was so beautiful, so fair and lovely…so perfect. His eyes were half-lidded so that only a bit of their vibrant blue color was visible and his cheeks were flushed. His lips seemed inviting, but… wait! _Cloud_ wasn't breathing! Leon started to panic. He couldn't, Cloud _could not_ die!

He didn't know what to do, so he did what came to mind at the time. He kissed Cloud.

He crushed their lips together, holding the blonds face with his hands. The brunet bit Cloud's lower lip in order to take it out of the way. He forced his lips upon Cloud's own and panted into his mouth to give him air. Leon _had_ to make Cloud breathe. Any way possibly. He didn't know when he'd done it, but he was currently straddling Cloud. He couldn't care at this point. Leon scooted towards the younger warrior in order to gain better access and found that he couldn't because he was being pressed by something hard. _I have to make him breathe; if this thing doesn't budge I'll just rub against it. It'll move out of the way eventually. _He put his arms around Cloud's neck, with one of them fisting his hair to keep him in place, in order to gain more leverage to rub against the thing and continued to kiss him. The older man forced his lips to Cloud's one more time and rubbed against the hard thing, panting and letting the air that was in his mouth pass to the younger one's. This was arousing him, but he couldn't do _it_. He had to make Cloud breathe. He bit the blonds lip _hard _and rubbed against the damn thing _harder. _He heard and felt the other man moan right in his face. _So this is working… good. _He moved his lips to the blond's again and this time he could feel Cloud moving them. The blond also moved his arms so he was holding onto Leon. The older warrior slowed down on rubbing against the thing and kissed Cloud deeper. He let his tongue explore the other's mouth and tasted the apple pie on him. He proceeded to pick up speed on rubbing against the unknown thing. Leon didn't know if it was still to get it out of the way or if it was for some other reason. He didn't care at this moment because he started to feel a warmth building up in his crotch and Cloud was starting to moan loudly. Due to this, he moved his mouth down to the other man's neck and kissed the soft skin. The thing started to rub against him, so he sped up and was now fervently and furiously creating more friction. The younger one's moans were, if anything, getting louder and he himself let out some of his own. He was _really_ enjoying this. He pulled Cloud by his hair and started to lick his throat starting from the base of his neck and going upwards towards his chin. _Oh Shiva… If I keep this up, I'll-I'll… _But it was too late. Both men let out pleasurable yells as they reached climax, a hot wetness making its way inside their pants.

-L-Leon… - Cloud couldn't believe this had happened. One moment there Leon was, sitting across from him, unreachable and composed and now… now, here he was, still sitting, but this time on top of him and looking flustered and dazed. To him, that was definitely an improvement. _First, you say something like _that_… and then do something like _this_? Are you even aware of what you do to me?_

Both men were completely red and breathing harshly. Both still holding onto each other like the world would end any second now. _Maybe it will. I mean, I wish it did. How could I do that to Cloud? Am I going crazy? Maybe I caught his fever… that's it! I'm just sick! There's no other possible reason. None whatsoever. _–thought Leon. Wanting to break the ice a little, he asked:

-A-are you ok?

-Yeah, I'm fine. – Answered Cloud. They had to talk this over. They simply could not overlook what they had just done. At least, Cloud couldn't. – Look, Leon… about this…

-Oh, right! – Said Leon, getting up and straightening his shirt. – Those were just the effects of our fevers. Yeah, that's right. – The brunet stated when he saw the younger man's confused face. – Didn't you notice? You must have caught one and then I caught it from you. We'll be fine in a couple of days.

-Leon? – The blond definitely didn't expect this. Denial? That wouldn't do. – You can't get a fever from wounds that have almost completely healed and you can't "catch" a fever since it's not contagious. Look… what we just did…

-Will be forgotten since it happened due to this strange fever. – The older man said, firmly and not leaving any room for objections. – It doesn't matter. It was just fever induced. And this conversation ends here.

Cloud was pissed. No, he was beyond pissed. He was furious, enraged almost going berserk. How could Leon say that? Wasn't he the one that had told him he wanted it to be "just the two of them"? "Something intimate"? And most importantly, wasn't he the one who had started all of this? _Damn you Leon! Damn you and damn your stupid denial! _He didn't want to show emotion. He had been hurt badly and he didn't want to give the other the satisfaction of seeing him suffering. So, he would be emotionless, just like he had been before he killed Sephiroth. If that was what it took, so be it. He was too proud to show him the effect he had on him. If Leon didn't notice, Cloud would certainly not be the one who would spell it out to him.

-Sure. – He said, his face a perfect mask, hiding everything away from the world. – I'll just leave then. I'll return the pajamas later, ok?

-Wait! – _What do you think you're doing? You can't possibly go away in your state. - _Leon thought. – That's childish of you. You're not even completely healed yet.

-Don't bother yourself with me. – _Childish, me? So I'm the one being _childish_? Next you're going to say _I'm_ the one in denial, no? _– I'll figure everything out on my own.

-But… - Leon started to say, but Cloud cut him off.

-I'm leaving. – And like that, Cloud left the other man's house.

**_---------------------------------------------------------------------------End of flashback-------------------------------------------------------------------------------_******

_Yeah, I felt like shit at that time, but that's understandable, right? I mean,_ that hurt. _But now I see thing differently. He's in _denial. _That doesn't mean he doesn't like me or that he doesn't have feelings for me. That just means he doesn't _believe _he likes me and has feelings for me. At least, that's what I like to think. "You have to think positive", isn't that what everybody says? –_ thought the blond man.

He would try to make Leon understand. He wouldn't explicitly tell him he felt something for him, but he would definitely show the brunet what it felt like to love and be loved. Maybe if he did that, Leon would see the reality of their situation?

* * *

It was a nice day. It wasn't as warm as it had been three days ago, but it still made you want to go outside to enjoy the day. Riku was currently heading to Aerith's gift shop. He had wanted to go there for some time to find something to entertain Sora, but he didn't have the time to do it since he had school during the weekdays. Today was a Saturday, so he could go where he wanted and didn't have to worry about the time for this or that. He had dedicated this day to Sora. That is to say, finding the perfect gift for the perfect person and then take that same person on a date. And afterwards... who knew?

Before he could start thinking about _what _exactly it was that he would do with Sora after their date, he found himself in front of Aerith's shop. There they were - the flowers everyone liked and admired. Personally, he didn't like flowers all that much, but he could still say they were pretty. _I know someone prettier. _He smirked. That boy, Sora, had certainly got him wrapped around his little finger. He had wormed his way into his heart before Riku noticed. When was it that he fell for the boy's charms?_ Maybe the first time I saw him. _

He entered the store and headed towards the counter where Aerith was, calm and looking at him as she smiled.

-Hello, Riku.

-Hi. – The teen said. This woman was like a mother to all of them – him, Sora, Kairi and Yuffie. She was the epitome of serenity and a very nice person to boot. She and Tifa were perfect together and when one of them was feeling down or needing some kind of support, the other would be there in a moment. He wanted to be like that with Sora. Shiva knew he loved the brunet. – How's business?

-Oh, it's fine. – She said, still smiling. One would think she was born smiling. The woman was always smiling, almost like she was happy all the time. Maybe because she was alive? – How are you and Sora?

-Still happy and lovey-dovey together. – He laughed. They were certainly happy together. – As a matter-of-fact, that's what brings me here. I want something to cheer Sora up. He has been a little bored because he doesn't have to fight the Heartless anymore and I wanted to change that. I want to make his life more... interesting.

-I see. – She seemed to ponder on what she should do next. A thought came to her. – I know just the thing. Come with me to the other room.

Although the main room of her shop was packed with all sorts of wonderful items and they were all eligible for the "prettiest thing on the shop" title, she kept some... more special ones in a room to the right. This objects being either magical or a bit strange, she believed they would be safer if kept away from prying eyes.

They went into the room and Aerith turned the lights on. It had shelves up to the ceiling and they were all filled with an array of the most dazzling or simply plain weird items.

-Come, this way. – The owner of the shop said. They walked for a moment and ended up in front of a wooden box. She opened it and said: - Ah! Here it is. Just the perfect thing for Sora. But, mind you, this isn't _the _perfect thing for him. I won't give you that yet. Just something perfect for him at this moment.

Inside the box was a silver necklace. It's chain was made in a simple format even if a little thin. Nested in the middle, that was supposed to hang from the necklace, was a interesting silver design. It was constituted by two wings pointing upwards looking as if they protected the jewel between them. This jewel was of a transparent color, but something seemed to flow within.

-That's... That's it. – Riku was smiling like a mad man. – That's just what I want to give Sora. Does it do something special? How much is it?

-Calm down, calm down. – Aerith laughed. Love did turn you crazy. – What it does is for Sora to find out and the cost... let's see... – She took her finger to her lips and seemed to be in deep thought even if looking amused. – I think that smile will be enough.

-Thank you! You're awesome Aerith! – Riku hugged her. She really was great. Just like a mom.

He thanked her again and stormed out of the shop. He still had to prepare for his date. By his watch, he still had three hours. _That'll have to do._

* * *

Sora was lying on his bed, looking at the ceiling. He had a date with Riku in a couple of hours, but he was still thinking. _Riku hasn't said anything..._ – he blushed. – _Naughty in a while. It's not like I need it, but... I mean, I like it. Maybe I need to hear him say what he would do to me. I mean... I don't even understand myself! This is frustrating!_ Sora was blushing a bit and he decided to let the matter rest. _Let things take their course, I guess...- _he contemplated. He headed to his closet and chose the clothes he would wear to the date. Then, he picked up some boxers from his drawer and some socks and went to the bathroom to take a shower. _Better make that a _cold_ shower._

* * *

That day, Tifa closed up the dojo earlier and headed to her lover's gift shop. _I like this. Coming back from work to go see Aerith feels comfortable. _She crossed the street and climbed the stone stairs to get to where the store was. She passed by Merlin's café and entered the shop.

-Hi honey, your hot lover is here! – She proclaimed, knowing that that would get her a laugh from Aerith and one of her smiles. One of the big ones she reserved for Tifa. Aerith didn't disappoint her.

-Hello Tifa. How was your day? – The shop owner asked.

-It was fine. – She pouted a little. – I was a little lonely. Since Leon didn't go to work today, I spent all day thinking about you. I couldn't work like that so I left earlier. You know I love you right?

Aerith laughed. Tifa sure was adorable. From overprotective badass to cute little love struck schoolgirl, she sure did change quite a bit. She was glad she showed everything about her only to her. It was almost a possessive feeling. _Almost. _She kissed Tifa.

-Of course I love you. – She said. – You're my only one, _darling._

Tifa scrunched up her nose at the pet name. She looked so adorable to Aerith that she cooed. _Love really drives us to do strange things._

_

* * *

_

**AN2:** Well, this chapter wasn't supposed to exist. -.-' What I had planned for chapter two will now be chapter three. Eheh (Leon and Cloud decided to do whatever they wanted with no regards to my instructions... *cough*whores*cough* XD)


	3. Can I annoy you?

**_After it ends, Peace reigns_**

**Fandom:** Kingdom Hearts

**Pairings:** (by order of appearance in this chapter) Tifa/Aerith; Leon/Cloud; Riku/Sora

**Rating:** Hmm, I'll keep it safe and give it an M for latter chapters.

**Summary:** Everything has ended. The Heartless are gone, Sephiroth has been destroyed and peace reigns in every world. Sora, Riku and Kairi are trapped in Radiant Garden by some unknown reason. Now what happens?

**Warning:** Cloud trying to get angsty; sex- addict Sora. Nothing more this chapter. xD

**A.N.:** Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? I beg your forgiveness -.-'! I've been too caught up in RL and its drama to even have the time to think about fanfiction. That, and my inspiration and motivation seem to have taken an extended vacation these past months. I blame school and fake friends... -.-' Hope you enjoy. _Unbeta'd, 'cause I don't care anymore._

**_Chapter Three:_**_Can I annoy you?_

-So... You gave Riku a necklace for Sora? – asked Tifa, her face showing true curiosity.

-Yes, dear. I did. – answered Aerith, a small smile making its way on her face. Her lover always seemed to be interested in the gifts. With all her enthusiasm, you'd think there was some sort of story to tell, right? Well... There wasn't. She was simply fascinated with them. _My dear, sweet, childish Tifa, _thought Aerith. She always had an infantile curiosity to her. That was one of the things that made Aerith love her.

-And...? – Tifa's eyes were positively sparkling. The self-imposed suspense was driving her crazy and increasing her interest with each passing moment at the same time.

-And...What, my dear lover? – Oh, how she was enjoying dragging this conversation on!

-And...! What does it do?! – Tifa knew Aerith was loving this. Teasing and driving her even crazier than she already was! She could swear there was a little demon hidden beneath all the goodness and sweetness that made Aerith who she was.

-Does it have to do anything other than serve as a necklace? – Aerith knew she was going to pay for this, but it was too much fun to stop at this point. _Let me see how much further I can get with this conversation... _She had to suppress the giggles that were threatening to burst out.

-Oh, c'mon! Everything you have in this shop has some sort of special ability! Do you honestly believe I'd fall for that, my little cupcake? – Tifa was pouting. She wasn't even trying to hide it, she was getting a little annoyed that Aerith was giving her this much trouble for such a little detail. _Well, if she's avoiding a direct answer it mustn't be something insignificant... Oh, I have to find out! I can't take this much longer...!_

-I wonder... – Aerith put her finger on her chin and bit softly on her lower lip.

-Yes...? – _I'm so close! I can almost feel it! So close! _So much anticipation she had accumulated for this!

-I wonder if it would be fair to tell you what the necklace does before Sora himself finds out. - She couldn't stop them even if she wanted to. Her giggles were set free and, looking at Tifa's face, they grew even more unstoppable.

-Arghh! – Tifa grabbed Aerith's hands and kissed her firmly on the lips. – Please don't do this to me... Don't tease me this much! Please tell me what it does! I'll do anything you say!

-That's a very dangerous thing to say, dear. – said Aerith. She took a mental note to take advantage of this some other time. -Alright, I'll tell you...

* * *

_Well, I think this is as good of a time to carry out my plan as any other. If I do it too late, it'll be useless...Alright! After I close the petshop, I'll go talk to him! _Cloud was sitting at the counter of his shop, playing absentmindedly with a feather that had fallen when a bird was cleaning itself. It was of a palish yellow colour. _Oh, that's right! I haven't gone to pick up those chocobo feathers from Leon yet. It seems I have the perfect excuse to visit him now! _Cloud chuckled. He had fallen for the scarred gunblader and there was no turning back now. Either Leon admitted he felt something –_anything_- for Cloud or ignored him for the rest of his life. Either way... it would be final -no second chances, no changing your mind. It'd be the end or the beginning of something new and unknown... And it was something for Leon to decide. This scared Cloud and made him even more excited at the same time - his future would be decided by the object of his affections. If Leon said he didn't like him and he meant it, there wasn't anything Cloud couldn't do, but even so...

He couldn't stand this standstill between them. He may have had a drastic personality makeover, but that didn't mean he should be involved in even more sorrow than he already had been. Making Leon realize he felt something other than friendship towards Cloud was one thing, _waiting_ for him to do so was a completely different one.

One characteristic of his that hadn't change, he realized, was his impatience. He never had been the kind of guy who would sit patiently and let things take their course when it mattered to him. _If it's important to you, you have to take matters into your own hands. If you let others live your life, what will you be left with__? Nothing! And with nothing comes darkness! You should know that by now._He had told himself these same words countless time before, and still they were present in his mind. He didn't have to worry about darkness anymore, but the rest was still undoubtedly true.

With this in mind, Cloud started closing up his shop. Leon better be prepared, or else he was in for quite a headache. Cloud could be really annoying when he wanted to. Maybe it was because he spent so much time being annoyed himself by Yuffie. The unwilling student mastering the relentless teacher's technique, the prey observing its predator's movement and copying them in order to survive and becoming their equal, the annoyed giving up his demeanor and becoming the annoyer. Whichever way you put it, it was ironic as hell! Poor, unsuspecting Leon.

_Yes, forcing my presence at him may be a little too much, but that's the only way I can possibly think of to make Leon face the situation and keep him from dating, marrying and having __damned _rat babies_ with his big friend denial! If I don't do it, nobody will do it for me. This is the only way of showing him the truth, being as stubborn as he is. It's an awful way of doing things, but it's for both our sakes. I doubt Leon's happy with our predicament as it is. He can deny his feelings and prevent himself from thinking about all this. He can wrap this situation up with logical reasons as to why he can't like me in that way in his mind, but he will never silence that little voice coming from his heart. He can't control his impulses; he can't control his dreams and wishes. When it starts to hurt, he won't find solace in thoughts of impossibility. He'll only find peace with me or thinking of me. I know this because I've been in denial myself. Over him, in fact. Only when I started being around him more and I gained my true personality did I realize. All those times when my eyes would roam over his figure, when I'd find myself heading towards him without realizing it, I even found out his voice was the only sound I couldn't ignore. And he didn't do anything; he simply carried on with his life as usual. I doubt he even _knew_ I was falling for him, but I can't blame him. Even I didn't know. It took a change of heart and an increase in proximity for me to finally understand what I was feeling. I can't do anything about changing his heart, and I'm sure I wouldn't want him to change who he was if he had the opportunity to do so, but I can do something about getting closer to him. I just hope that more of one of the "conditions" can balance the other. No, even more important than that… I just hope that he does indeed feel something towards me in a romantic way. If he doesn't…All of this would have been a mere attempt to make my dream come true. In vain, it would seem. If that's the case, I…don't know what to do…_

* * *

"Three blind mice, three blind mice, see how they run, see how they run. They all ran after the teacher searching for strife,who took out his magic stick and turned them to pie. Did ever you see such a thing in you life, as three blind mice, three blind mice?"

Joy, thy name is Yuffie. The young and energetic ninja decided to take a walk around the town, seeing as she didn't have anything else to do. Since it was Saturday, she didn't have school. _Thankfully. _She thought. Aerith had said from the beginning that she didn't have to work on Saturdays. "You spend all week going to school and then coming to work. I think you need some time for yourself. You need the time to study in case you're not doing so well in class, or to spend the money you earn. Most importantly, you need the time to have fun and to be with your friends. Being a hard worker is great, but your work and your studies aren't your life! You need to be satisfied with your life if you want to be useful to yourself or to others, and spending all your free time working won't make you the happiest, now will it Yuffie?" Were her exact words.

This was fine by her. It meant she had the entire weekend to hang out with her friends or to simply annoy them! She loved seeing their expressions when she said _just the right thing_ at _just the right moment _and they'd get really embarrassed, or when she _constantl_y repeated something and they'd get angry since she was being "obnoxious" as they once called her. It was a part of her personality, one she could resist. Everybody knew she was just being playful, so nobody took anything she said or did to heart.

Speaking of her friends, Kairi had been reading some magic books that looked to be as old as Merlin was at home and she said she wanted to be left alone. At first, she had thought it was strange, but then the redhead explained that she was having difficulty learning how to do a certain spell and – before Yuffie had time to offer to help- she told her that if the always-happy girl stayed, she'd only get distracted and wouldn't learn the spell by the end of the day. If that happened, she'd have to spend the next day studying too, and then they couldn't go shopping like they had planned. Yuffie understood, of course. Who wouldn't get distracted by the epic awesomeness of the Great Ninja Yuffie? Nobody, that's who! She felt glad that Kairi acknowledge her attention-attractive power and that the redhead respected the plans she had made with her, to the point she would suffer from that terrible thing called "extra homework" earlier than it was meant to.

She had thought about hanging around with the boys, but then she remembered they had a date later on and that they'd probably be busy preparing for it by now. Yuffie decided to leave them to their preparations. After all, everybody deserved a break at some point. Even so, she couldn't keep herself from wondering what, exactly, would the date consist on.

Noticing a familiar face approaching, the easily excited ninja made a mental note to pinch all the details out of her sometimes-partner-in-crime, Sora, later. The young man had blond hair, vibrant blue eyes and the way he walked let everyone know he felt comfortable being himself, and she didn't mean this in a bad way. It wasn't like the man in front of her was conceited, no, definitely not! He just gave the impression that he was truly happy being who he was, and that he didn't need or want to change himself. _Well, that's a change to the best! I was really getting tired of his aura of melancholy. _She said to herself. The man was a sight to behold, "handsome" would be the term others would use to describe him, or maybe "beautiful" or "pretty darn hot". _If you like that, of course, but that's not my case. But I'll give him that –he is pretty. I guess I still see him as an older brother who lets you dress him up in girls' clothes. _She thought,and inevitably giggled at the mental image. Yes, Cloud Strife _could _be called any of those names. The question was if he would _like it _if someone other than the one he cared about the most did that. _But that's a matter for another time. I still have to make him tell me who he likes the most! It's _obvious_ he's in love. For Shiva's sake, he keeps on daydreaming and blushing while at the same time smiling in a lovestruck way _all the time_! I'm crazy ,but I'm _not _stupid…Shut up inner Cid!_

-Cloudykins! How're ya doing? – The black-haired girl greeted while at the same time she threw herself at the one she was talking to.

_-_Uff! Yuffie! Let me go, you big airhead! – His words may have seemed upset, but he couldn't stop himself from chuckling. – I was doing just great, but if you keep on choking me I'll probably fall unconscious from lack of air!

-And then I'll get big, strong Leon to give you mouth-to-mouth and you'll say: "Oh, Leon, you're my hero! I loooove you soooo much!"- She replied, knowing full well that it would annoy the other.

-…Hm? What?! I-I… What do you know?! – Cloud's face and voice went through various emotions, ranging from confusion and embarrassment to hesitation and shock.

_Oh, goody! Right thing to say, as usual, Yuffie my dear!__ I admit it was a lucky guess; I'd imagined that Cloud might swing that way so that didn't come as a shock, but him being head over heels in love with __Leon__? Now that's something that never crossed my mind!...I'm not lying, inner Tifa! But, looking back, it makes sense! I remember noticing with my amazing observational powers of ninja awesomeness a couple of times when Cloud looked to be completely fascinated and positively smitten over Leon every time he was nearby!...Or at least as fascinated and smitten as he could look, which wasn't much. But I did see it! And nobody would __dare __say it isn't true, right?!_

-Me? I didn't know anything about your crush on Leon, Cloudy! Until now, I mean.

-Oh Shiva, why do you do this to me? You're smarter than I gave you credit for, Yuffie. – The blond man sighed. He didn't mean to hide what he felt, but when the make-believe ninja knew something, it would turn out to be public knowledge soon. He wasn't ashamed; shame was not what he felt when thinking of the brunet gunblader and the relationship he wished he had with said man. He just believed that, if someone as Yuffie knew, they'd only make matters worse.

-I don't need to be smart to notice something obvious. Plus, you didn't put up much of a fight trying to hide it. – She grinned from ear to ear, almost as if she wanted to replace some sort of pink and purple cat living in some faraway land filled with wonders. She was doing a good job of it too! She'd probably give that feline a run for its money in everything except the use of wits and cryptic remarks.

-I don't want to hide it.

-Then you'll let me help you win Leon over, right? Right?! I won't accept anything but a yes, just so you know! – There it was. This was what he was afraid of. Unfortunately, there wasn't a single thing he could do to keep Yuffie from sticking her intrusive little nose in this. He had figured that much out from having her around all these years.

-…You don't give me much of a choice. Alright, but promise me you'll keep the "help" to a minimum. – Cloud had to draw some boundaries. He didn't even want to imagine what the hyperactive raven-haired girl would do otherwise.

-But, Cloudy-muffin! –Before she could say anything else, the ninja was interrupted.

-Promise!

-Alright, alright, don't get your man-panties in a twist. – She took a moment to think. Why would Cloudy want to keep her from doing what she did best? Other than spreading her joy all over town, that is._ It must be a momentary show of senility._ She thought and shook her head. _You can't put limits on my wonderful abilities! But I also can't tell Cloudykins I won't do as he says, and lying is not my thing… What should I do? What would the Puss in Boots do? By Merlin's crooked knees, I've got it!__ –_ I promise I won't do anything I think will keep you from having your love next to you.

Judging by Cloud's slight blush and soft smile, Yuffie guessed he was pleased with what he had heard. _Thank you inner purple cat, but you'll never outsmart me!_ Thankfully, the blond shopkeeper dismissed the ninja's fist shaking in the air as a consequence of not getting her way.

* * *

-You're screwed! – He said, his hands shooting up and torturing his chocolate brown spikes. – Sora, you've done it now! How could you leave choosing what to wear for the last minute?! Can you not see the importance of today, especially? Argh! What can I do with myself?!

Forgetting about the fact that he was the only person in the room and that, thus, he was talking to himself, he kept on asking if someone was "happy being stupid". He started to get bored when no answer came and rapidly realized he was wasting precious time. Being late was not an option and, although he knew Riku would really enjoy the sight of him in boxers and socks – and proceed to some intimate activities that the youngest of the two would appreciate as much as, if not more than, his silver-haired counterpart – he wanted to delight himself with the opportunity of an entire evening in which they'd only have the company of each other and all of their attentions focused on one another. Being ravished could wait – even if he was eagerly awaiting having his lover all over him.

-I need sex… - He sighed and let his head pend down while he began pondering why he had this intense urge. Suddenly, the blue-eyed teenager seemed to remember something and his mouth formed a perfect "O" shape. – Clothes! I need clothes, not sex! …Alright, I need sex. But right now I need clothes! Maybe sex clothes? Or clothes with pictures of sex? … That would be nice! – And he goofily grinned. – Maybe I can take a picture when I'm doing it with Riku and make a shirt… out…of…it…RIKU! I have a date with Riku! I need to get ready! Now where are my sex clothes? … My sex! I mean, my clothes, dammit! I have to check my blowjob… I mean my wardrobe! OK, I'm shutting up now…

Frustrated with the lack of control over what he said, Sora opened up his wardrobe and started rummaging in a pile of shirts. I need to be tidier. I'll definitely clean this up… One of these days. He grabbed onto something and pulled it out of its prison. It was a pink t-shirt with a picture of a white unicorn cartoon wearing a princess tiara and a speech bubble underneath it said:_ "Welcome to Fairyland!"_

-When the hell did I get this? – He began searching his memories for the answer and soon found it. – Oh, Yuffie's dress up game at her birthday party! I'm glad I didn't keep those pink frilly butterfly wings! I still have nightmares sometimes when I remember that day.

He threw the offending piece of cloth aside and finally found something he liked. A white long sleeved shirt. He was glad it didn't get wrinkled alongside all the other thing Sora had in his closet. He threw it on the bed and hastily started looking for something to cover up his lower half. When the brunet finally found what he was looking for, he set it next to the shirt to see if it looked good. Dark grey baggy short with a black belt and a white shirt; it looked nice. He put it on and after scavenging underneath his bed for a pair of shoes, he went to look at himself in the bathroom mirror. _Not bad, not bad at all! Good job, me! But my hair looks awful._ Chocolate brown spike were pushed and pulled, directed and redirected until they were in a position very similar to that in which they were before. _Now it's perfect. So that's it for the hair. What am I missing…? I know! That cologne that Riku gave me some time ago._ The anxious teenager sprayed some on himself and sniffed the air in appreciation. _This smells nice! _

He left the bathroom and entered the bedroom. It was really nice; they had two beds and three bedside tables, one of which Riku and him shared. It was easy to see which belonged to whom. Sora's was a complete mess, the sole blanket slightly retaining the form of what once looked like a cocoon. He had a stuffed moogle which was part of a pair – the other one belonging to Riku, who unexpectedly took really good care of it – which Sora and his silver-haired lover had bought one time when their little group of friends went to a carnival fair sitting peacefully amongst the disorder. Even the pillow was in the wrong place. It's not my fault that it's so fluffy that I can't resist hugging it! On the other hand, although not the tidiest bed in all of Radiant Garden, Riku's at least looked better than Sora's. The blanket was dishevelled, like he had done his bed in a hurry – which he hadn't – and the pillow was non-existent. _Riku sleeps with it, but he's afraid of something tearing it up, so he keeps it in his closet. Kinda silly, but I love him nonetheless. _Even so, it didn't look like someone waged war in it.

Noticing his lack of worry and haste, it seemed his mind decided to send distress signal coursing throughout Sora's slim body. He started to panic and quickly looked at the clock on their shared bedside table – it marked 17:59. Huff, I'm one whole minute early._ If that's not a good sign, I don't know what it is! _As if on cue, when the clock showed it was precisely 18:00, he heard a knock at his door. _It's him, my lover! Quick, Mr. Mogs, hide under the bed or he'll think we're having an affair! __He went to open the door._

* * *

Well, that's it then. This story has become quite an impulsive little brat that only does what it wants with no regards to what I had planned… Who am I kidding?! I love that it's like this. Even I don't know what's going to happen next. :D

I'm trying to make this story seem a little more interesting by creating a sort of plot that doesn't involve romance. Did you notice anything like that? No? … Alright, fine! Just ask yourself: "What is Kairi doing? Is she really trying to improve in magic? Is something troubling her?" Yes, no, maybe? As I've said, even I don't know. We'll see. ;D

I seriously love Yuffie. She's awesome! I really like writing her, 'cause she's so random you could make her do anything, as long as it bother someone. xD Oh, and Sora? Yup, I love him too. And his lines? I wrote it after eating about 5 chocolate bars or so, so it was easy being random.

I suck at dressing characters up. -.-' Next time, I'm asking someone addicted to fashion to help me.

Yeah, I'm trying to steer clear from anything remotely angsty. I've realized I'm no good at it. I'm sticking to fluff and crack, thanks.

I've kinda neglected some characters (such as Merlin, Cid, etc.), but I'll give them some appreciation one of these days… I think. And I'll give more attention to Tifa and Aerith when I finish this Riku/Sora part. I'm guessing they'll occupy a chapter or two more? I make no promises.

The next chapter will take some time coming up, since I'll have a couple of exams soon (for which I haven't even studied (I hate you, Math -.-')). And then it's convention time! (My first one! I'm really anxious.) And after that it's exam time again. (Sarcastic) yey!

I don't think I have anything else to say, except that you can always send me a message with any questions you have, and I'll try to answer them as quickly as possible. Thanks for reading, hope you'll keep on doing it until the end.


	4. Believe me when I say this

_After it ends, Peace reigns_

**Fandom:** Kingdom Hearts

**Pairings:** (by order of appearance in this chapter) Riku/Sora; Cloud/Leon; Tifa/Aerith

**Rating:** Hmm, I'll keep it safe and give it an M for latter chapters.

**Summary:** Everything has ended. The Heartless are gone, Sephiroth has been destroyed and peace reigns in every world. Sora, Riku and Kairi are trapped in Radiant Garden by some unknown reason. Now what happens?

**Warning: **Curse words? Dunno. Haven't checked! Sorry!**  
**

**A.N.:** I did say I was going to update on Spring Break, didn't I? Well…In my defence, I did start "collecting" plot bunnies for this chapter a whole day _before _Spring Break started, so there! It's the same as saying I started _before _the break and kept on developing the story until it ended. So, technically, I didn't _lie_…I just, let's say, "waltzed" around the truth, eheheh! *Is shot for tricking readers* *Is dead on the ground with a blood pool forming around the wound* *Is revived by the amazing power of your forgiveness (?) (Please?)*

I'll take that as a "yes". ;) Carrying on…!

_Chapter Four: Believe me when I say this_

The person standing right in front of him wasn't the one he was expecting. He felt slightly disappointed, but surprise was the predominant feeling.

"What are you doing here, Merlin?"

"Just came to check on you." – The old man smiled. – "But I see you're alright. You're looking fancy! What are you going to do, Sora my boy? Going on a date, eh?"

The brunet blushed slightly. He _was _going on a date, but that wasn't what he was anxious about. Not that he was about to tell this to Merlin, the man could very well have a heart attack as soon as he said

"Sex…"

Yes, sex. He could not mention _that _word around Merlin… "I…What! Did Merlin…? No…!"

"…sex"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said I've had my share of romantical walks around town. I'm quite the ladies man myself, even if I'm a sexagenarian. Didn't you hear what I said? You must have something clogging your ears, m'boy! Let's see, I have a spell for that…"

"Oh no, no!" – he interrupted hurriedly – "I did hear you, Merlin! I just thought I heard wrong, since you don't look a year older than forty… _hundred._"

Obviously, he said the last part to himself. He was starting to become obsessed about what he hoped Riku would do to him. He tried to calm his hyperactive hormones down as best as he could while still paying an ounce of attention to the kooky old man.

"Why… yes. I have been told that my appearance _is _rather misleading. All the young lads and lasses keep telling me they don't believe I'm 62! It is quite good to hear."

_That's because they think you're a lot older, like I do. But, I'm not the one who'll tell you that. I'm too afraid of being transformed into a guinea pig! - _Thought Sora.

"Even if that is the case, I haven't come here to hear you compliment me, m'boy. I've sensed some natural energies mixing and merging into a determined location – this house. As you surely know, I've warned you countless time not to do it. The magic resulting from it may very well be powerful and one of the most useful, but it is also very complex. Too complex for my students, even if you all have great potential! One puny mistake can have a disastrous consequence! But it seems like you are not the one meddling with such forces, Sora. For that I am both relieved and worried…" – Told him the old man. Sora had a surprised look on his face. He had heard about such a process in one of Merlin's classes – with was something French sounding… "Comme un seul", he believed. He also remembered that it required quite a bit of components, time and some knowledge of French, since the incantation was written in it - which was to be expected, knowing the magician who established it was French.

"Why would you be relieved, Merlin? This is a huge problem!"

"Yes, Sora, I am well aware of the danger. I'm relieved because it means you were paying attention to me… Also, you are one of the few of my students, if not the _only _one of them, who would be able to correctly carry on with the process. This is a very unstable age you all are in, and I'm not sure what would be worse – the process going wrong, or the opposite… It truly is a fantastical source of power…"

"I'm sorry, but _why _exactly do you say I'm the only one capable of doing it? I know I'm one of the highest rating students, it's not something I brag about, but it is still true… But I'm not the only one that's good at magic! Why do you put so much worth in someone who is only better on the tests? Riku or Kairi are the ones who study and participate more, and Yuffie is the one who has the most inventive personality, she has already created a lot more spells than I have!" – Sora was upset. He cherished justice and equality above all else. He didn't think it was fair for Merlin to be calling him "the best"… It just wasn't, even if it was something good…

"Sora," – started the old wizard – "I'm aware of the differences between you and your friends. That's not why you are the one who would most likely succeed with the process. You were chosen by the Keyblade. Much ancient magic comes with it. And, before you ask, even if Riku has been chosen as well, he has gone through some events which have rendered him momentarily weak in terms of magic. You know what I am speaking about, I'm sure."

_The whole Ansem ordeal… that's what weakened him._ Thought the brunet teenager. He acknowledge that Merlin was right about that issue. But the more pressing matter, much more so than Sora's abilities, came once again to his mind.

"The magic! We have no time to lose! If it's in the house, we'll find it quicker if we both search for who's doing it." – Suggested the Keyblade bearer.

Just after Sora said that, a silver haired teenager appeared next to Merlin. _He's so hot…!_ Thought Sora, but his mind decided it would give him a break from his hormones and the problem the old magician had told him flashed bright inside his head.

"Sora? Merlin? What are you two talking about? Did someone go missing? What happened?" – Riku was worried. We noticed Sora's distressed expression and that _definitely _wasn't good – Sora was too happy-go-lucky to care about a minor problem. This was _big_!

* * *

_I have to do this… I _have to_! It's the only way. For me… For them… It'll be better if I do this… right? It's the _only_ way…! Why am I the only one to have thought about this? It seems so _simpl_e! Almost as if destiny had let this fall unto my lap…! Almost _too_ simple… If this goes wrong… Please, _please _forgive me!_

_

* * *

_

"Well, the first thing to do is knowing whatcha wanna do, Cloudy!" – Started the bumbling raven-haired girl.

"What do you mean?" – Asked the young blond man – "I think that's a little obvious, don't you think, Yuffie?"

"Ah, not really, Cloudy! How am I supposed to know what you want if you don't tell me?" – Pointed out the teen ninja – "There's lots of things you could want from Leon… He _is _a good piece of man meat, if ya know what I mean!"

Cloud started sputtering instantly and red tinted his cheeks completely. Leon _was _a "good piece of man meat" as Yuffie put it, but that wasn't the only thing that caught Cloud's attention… right? At this point, he couldn't be so sure. _Shiva, this whole crush thing has gotten my head all messed up!_

"Well… I _do _like his looks. I mean… How could I _not_? The man's practically a _god_ who decided to bless this planet with his presence! Plus… He's very kind, even if he doesn't show it to just about everybody. He's just misunderstood. I kinda get him, since I've been a lot like him at some point in my life. It's… I don't know, ok? It's complicated. It always is when I get involved. It seems I mess everything up just by being around. But, this time I'm not going to run away. I may not know exactly what I like about him, but I _do _know I like him. A lot, actually." – The blond man explained.

"Hm, you can stop your monologue now, Cloudy! Leave the rambling to me, 'kay? I didn't ask you why you like him, choco-brain!" – She snickered. – "That's not really important, see? I wanna know _what _you wanna _do_ with him… Do ya understand?"

Cloud scoffed. _And here I was, blurting out things I shouldn't… Nice, Cloud, real nice!_

"I don't want him for the sex… Although I won't refuse it if an opportunity presents itself." – He tried to hide his embarrassment by looking up at the slightly cloudy sky, almost making it seem like this was a trivial subject. The attempt didn't work. The raven-haired ninja started giggling, to which the young man quickly responded with a demand for her to shut up. – "I want a real involvement on both parts. I want us to be committed to one another, to fully understand each other… I want love. I think you'd call it a long-term relationship."

Cloud had to turn his head completely to the side in order to ignore the girl he was talking to. _Or the closest thing you can get to talking when it comes to crazy-moomba over here. –_ He thought. Even that didn't help when he started hearing her shrieks and coos. She even started calling him brand new nicknames. _What the hell is a _Cutchy-Cloudy_?…And now she's jumping up and down. Great! Awesome day today turned out to be, eh?_ - Observed the annoyed man. His attempt to ignore the upcoming flood of embarrassment proved once again to have failed when he noticed a man with chocolate-coloured tresses pursing his lips as slightly as he frowned, seeing as you wouldn't notice unless you were about a metre from him, as the blond swordsman was. _When did _he_ get here? And _how_? I didn't even notice him… Damnit, this day just keeps getting better! _–Thought the alarmed man.

"Who do you love?" – This was the first thing that came out from his mouth as he looked straight at Cloud. The blond thought he couldn't ask anything worse at the moment. Before he even started thinking about what to say, the girl in front of him answered, a 1000 watt smile on her lips.

"Why're you interested, Squall?"

"I'm not!" – Said the brunet, a bit too quickly to be credible. Plus, the light red covering his cheeks didn't help matters. As an afterthought, he added. – "And it's Leon."

"Sure it is, Squally! And I absolutely believe what you just said!" – Replied the ninja girl, in an ironic yet playful manner. – "Let's make a deal then. I'll tell you who it is Cloud loves above everyone and everything else in this world and all the others, above his own life even! But, in exchange, you'll have to do one and only one task I give you. What do ya think?"

"You will not!" – Ordered Cloud, to which Yuffie responded by repeating what he had done to her only moments ago – she told him to shut up. Even so, ignoring the slight exaggeration on the girl's part, he couldn't help but feel less than worried. _Leon would never agree to that! It's not like we're talking about a crucial piece of information that'll make his life a hundred times better. Even if it did… This is Yuffie we're talking about! That "task", as she put it, can't be anything good! I have nothing to be worried about!_

"Deal!" – Said Leon with a determined look and a slight smirk.

_Shit!_ -Thought the blond man.

"Okay then!" – Exclaimed Yuffie, with a gigantic grin and a couple of excited jumps. – "I'll tell you!"

She started chuckling contently, going for a moment of suspense. She counted to three all the while looking at both men's faces. One of them was wide-eyed, shaking his head and mouthing "No!" to her, while the other stared expectantly at her with his eyebrows a little raised.

"It's me! Yuffie Kisaragi, the greatest ninja in the whole Universe! I'm the one Cloudykins here loves!" – Said the girl, hugging Cloud tightly while looking straight at the brunet gunblader. Doing such, she failed to notice the scandalized expression the person she was hugging was exhibiting and paid attention only to Leon as he folded his arms as hard as he could, - probably already cutting off a good amount of blood from flowing within them – frowned and looked down at his shoes.

"I see… I hope you'll be happy together." – Said the man, not one single word spoken with the emotion one would expect them to have, considering it was him. He sounded disappointed and discouraged. The proverbial kicked puppy.

"Well, thank you, Squally! We will!" – Quickly answered the girl who managed to confuse one man to high heaven and disappoint another to low hell. – "Let's talk business now, shall we?"

* * *

_I'm _so _close! It'll all be over soon. The moment I finish saying this incantation, we'll all be as happy as we possibly can… Unless…What if this is not what everybody wants? What then? Then this'll be a huge mistake. But I can't stop _now_! It's already too late. I'll just have to do this and then I'll face the consequences - I won't be able to _escape_ them anyway. When I finish this… I hope everybody smiles at me and say I did a good job._

_

* * *

_

Aerith supported one of her elbows with one hand and raised an index finger to her chin. She was intentionally making Tifa suffer by omitting a piece of information from her.

"C'mon!" – Whined the woman in question. – "You said you'd tell me. Please, oh Great Aerith, Master of Suspense, tell me already!"

The shop owner laughed. She herself was getting tired of beating around the bush. She had had her fun, but now was the time to end her lover misery. _As I speak, thy worries and stress will be vanquished with the power of the truth. Clean thy ears and listen attentively, for I shall proffer the reason I relinquished the item we have spoken of before this same exchange of words as well as its true nature._

"Aer…?" – Tifa asked, looking bemusedly at her lover. Aerith was gripping her hands in a gesture similar to one you'd do when you were praying, her mouth displaying a dreamy smile and her eyes glinting slightly as she looked upwards. _Did she drink one of those obscure label teas again? _– "Are you ok?"

"Uh…? Oh, yes! Quite ok! You wanted to know what the necklace did, right? And why did I give it to Riku, as well. Well, to answer the first question, the necklace reflects the feelings of the one who wears it. As to why I gave it to Riku, well… It's for him to finally realize something obvious, and let's leave it at that. Wouldn't want to meddle _too _much in the boys' life, now would we?" – She smiled contently.

"That's it? " – The dark-haired woman shrieked. – "You've been stalling all this time, and for such a trivial ability? C'mon!"

Tifa's huffs of frustration were accompanied by Aerith's chuckles. It may have been a trivial matter to Tifa, but it would be very useful for Riku, she was sure of it. To calm her lover, the blue-eyed shopkeeper took a jar of chocolate and almond cookie and presented them to Tifa. Her reaction was as expected: a glance at the jar, a blank stare at Aerith, another glance at the jar -this time more attentive-, mouth forming a perfect "o" and a trio of "I love you" said with amazing speed. A quick chaste kiss and then she started the ravishing of the treats.

Aerith waited a moment, looking at her girlfriend with a nagging worry on her mind. She sat at the chair behind the counter, with her hands on her lap, one on top of the other. She cleared her throat once as she formed the words she wanted to say in her head, twice as she tried to get Tifa's attention, thrice as she finally got it. With a slightly distressed expression, she declared:

"I have something to tell you, dear."

"Uát iz it, Ahé?" – Answered her counterpart with her mouth fully stuffed with sugary snacks.

"I think I've done something terrible wrong…" – The brunette started nibbling on her own lips.

"What is it?" – This time, Tifa responded with a firm tone, not one cookie distorting the sounds she made.

"It's just a feeling I'm having now, but… Well, you know those Book Unlockers I've got?"

"Those things that people use as master keys to open books with locks in them?" – The raven-haired woman provided.

"Yes, those are the ones. I gave one to Kairi because she said that she was going to try reading Yuffie's diary so she could avoid one of her pranks. You know I don't usually tolerate violating someone's privacy, but Yuffie as been so quiet…" – Aerith started sobbing, her body trembling with every hiccup. As tears streamed down her cheeks, Tifa's momentary surprise vanishes and she was quick to embrace her lover. Stroking her hair softly and kissing her tears away, she asked:

"Aerith, honey… So you allowed her to snoop around Yuffie's diary. What's the big deal? You might have done something good! Maybe Kairi can prevent a very troublesome set of events."

"I-I know, b-but I f-feel bad… I feel as if s-something b-bad is going to happen. And it's m-my f-fault! I shouldn't have given it to her! I sh-shouldn't have!"

The female shopkeeper's sobs still went strongly and loudly. With all the gentleness she could manage, Tifa kissed Aerith on her forehead, going downwards towards her watering eyes, planting a soft press of lips to each eyelid as she massaged calming circles on her back. After kissing her repeatedly on both of her cheeks, always in random places, she stopped to whisper in her anguished lover's ear.

"There is not a single situation – bad or good – that we can't get through and stay both on our feet, holding our hands and looking proudly and happily towards our future."

With the visible calm that washed soon afterwards throughout Aerith's body, Tifa continued.

"Whatever happens, I'll be here. Our friends will be here. We'll face everything together, ok honey?"

The once crying now softly smiling woman nodded, her face buried on the crook of her beloved's neck. They stay like this for a while, soaking up the warmth their bodies produced when they were so near to each other.

Moments later – had only seconds passed? Minutes? Hours, maybe? -, Aerith lifted her head up and looked straight at Tifa, whispering quietly to Tifa:

"I need you."

* * *

_Vous êtes comme un seul_

_L'eau et l'air_

_Le raz de marée et l'ouragan_

_Ecouté mon invocation!_

_Crée une porte!_

_Apporte ma destination chez moi!_

Kairi finished saying the incantation. The words had seemed familiar, like she had heard them a long time before. Maybe before she met Riku and Sora? She had no clear recollection of what she had done or who she had met – not one memory. She vaguely remembered her parent's faces, but not their names or their voices. They had been much like her, or, to be more correct, she was a lot like _them_.

Skin tone, hair colour… Those characteristic she remembered. Not the colour of their eyes, not their height… She wished she could meet her parents one more time. She wished she could have a single conversation - just one. It could be about the most stupid subject, as long as it was with them.

Kairi had suffered a lot with not remembering anything about her origins, but she had gained a strong sense of protection towards her friends. Maybe because she was afraid she might lose them as she lost her memories from long ago.

It was because of this sense of protection that she believe this to be the right thing to do – to return to where they belonged, to return to the start point. Even if it cost her, she would do it. She would grant the wishes of the people closest to her.

As a door of a dark purple colour appeared, she started to smiled in relief, but as soon as that door opened and a giant dark hand gripped her body tightly, her facial muscles soon contorted to a screaming disposition, muffling the sound of footsteps not too far away.

* * *

Yeah, I'm horrible. I deeply apologize for taking so long. I further apologize because I've started on a new fic in the meanwhile.

That did not distract me from writing this chapter, don't get me wrong. The new fic was my way of getting rid of a slight writer's block. Plus, I was on vacation with no access to a computer and nothing to inspire me but a great deal of trees and the beach. (P.S. I don't find a crowded beach to be very inspiring. Oh, and I was too busy having fun to even remember I had to finish this up… I'm sorry for my momentary egoism…)

I'm going to cosplay for the first time in my life! Yey! I would be happier, but I'm going back to school soon, which gravely tones down my enthusiasm. The only thing I'm missing is the long black gloves… The staff is going nicely! Ah! I'm doing a Fai D. Fluorite cosplay, if you haven't been informed. Wish me luck, will you?


End file.
